A better school calendar

Dallas Morning News | Senator John Carona (R-Dallas):

“House Bill 1, the recent school finance legislation, contains a series of public education enhancements, including a provision that requires Texas schools to start no sooner than the fourth Monday in August. ... Texans want their summers back for good reasons. Longer summers provided by the traditional school year give families more opportunities to spend quality time together. ... The benefits don't stop with stronger families. ... Content mastery and retention of material are improved when content is introduced, a break is taken, the information is reviewed, and the test is then taken. ... Moving the school calendars to a traditional school year would save $184 million for Texas schools and more than $790 million statewide ... in operational costs ”

Ed Cognoski responds:

Senator Carona lays out three arguments for a later starting date for school.

First, that a later start date somehow lengthens summer. But starting school in September doesn't make for a longer summer vacation. It just shifts the vacation. State law mandates 180 days of instruction. Unless that number changes, families will have the same number of days of quality time together. All that's at stake is whether those days come in late May or in late August.

Second, Senator Carona argues that a ten to fourteen day Christmas break is conducive to content mastery and retention. If Senator Carona truly believes that a two week break before finals improves education, he ought to be arguing for a two week break in both semesters. How about a two week break in early June before finals in late June?

Finally, Senator Carona argues that shutting schools during the hot days of August instead of the comparatively mild days of May would save schools some air conditioning costs. This final argument is the only legitimate argument Senator Carona offers for shifting the school year.

Whether or not Senator Carona's arguments are convincing, the state should not be setting local school calendars at all. Senator Carona claims that the Legislature is being responsive to a "a grass-roots movement of parents and community members." School boards already seek input from parents and community members when they set their annual calendars. If local voters aren't making the school calendar an issue in school board races, why should Senator Carona elevate it to a state legislature priority? Perhaps because it's not parents and community members who want to see later school start dates, but the tourism industry. Industry finds it easier to influence the state legislature than to influence hundreds of local school board. And Senator Carona is willing to let the heavy hand of the state override local control in order to placate the wants of the tourism industry.